Cheese-cutter.



F. P'. DUNN.

CHEESE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1912.

1 $9 4959 Patented May 11, 1915.

iii/ 9.22.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTOLITHOH WASHINGTON. D. r

gTATEQ PATENT FRANK P. DUNN, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO COMPUTING CHEESE CUTTER COMPANY, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

CHEESE-CUTTER.

Application filed September 16, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Cheese-Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce an eflicient mechanism for accurately gaging the amount of possible movement of the cheese-carrying table of a cheese cutter by means of which accurately proportioned portions may be out and dispensed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus; Fig. 2 a plan in partial horizontal section showing my improved table-driving mechanism; Fig. 3 a fragmentary plan on a larger scale of the tabledriving mechanism; Fig. at an under plan of the parts shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 an elevation, in partial vertical section, of the parts shown in Fig. 3, with a fragment of the table casting in vertical section; Fig. 6 an elevation of my improved gage.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a main base casting upon which is hinged, at 11, the common cutting knife 12. The base casting 10 is provided with a diametrical cross bar 13 in the center of which is pivoted a tablecarrying casting 14 of substantially circular form and provided with a depending annular flange 15. The casting 1 1 is adapted to receive and carry a usual cheese-carrying table 16. The casting 14 is provided with a pivot pin 17 and journaled upon this pin is an operating arm 18 which is projected through an opening in the base casting and formed at its outer end to serve as an operating handle. The upper surface of the lever 18 is conveniently formed with a depression or pocket 19 in which I mount my improved clutch plate 21. This clutch plate at its inner end is provided with a pair of substantially parallel fingers 22, 22 which straddle the shank of a screw 23 mounted in. the bottom of nocket 19, the fingers 22 passing snugly beneath the head of the screw 23. The upper face of the clutch plate 21 is provided with two vertical pins 2% and 25 which are substantially parallel and are arranged to lie upon opposite sides of the flange 15 and are displaced angularly Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Serial No. 720,447.

with relation to said depending flange, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The pin 25 is projected through the plate 21 and through opening 26 formed through lever 18 and engaging the lower end of the pin 25 is a spring :27 which serves to normally swing the clutch plate upon pin 23 as a pivot so as to holdthe two pins 2 1 and 25 in engage ment with the depending flange 15. RV this arrangement it is not essential that the flange 15 be absolutely concentric with the pin 17 because the clutch plate 21, by rea son of the fingers 22 and screw 23, is free to slide longitudinally of the lever 18, as well as to swing upon pin 23 as a pivot. The table 16 may be advanced step by step in one direction by reciprocation of lever 18.

It has heretofore been common to provide cheese-carrying tables of this type with friction ratchet mechanism by means of which they can be advanced, but difficulty has been experienced in definitely controlling the amount of movement of the table because of the tendency of the table, when once set in motion, to continue after the operating lever is brought to a stop. In order to avoid this difiiculty, I provide the plate 21 on its forward side with a finger portion 28 which comes against a portion 29 of the base 10 in order to limit the forward movement of the lever 18, this limitation of the forward movement of the lever thus simultaneously serving to insure a proper grip of the pins 24; and 25 upon the flange 15 and thus prevent any throwing by of the table. It will therefore be seen that, no matter with what force the lever 18 be shifted, there can be no advancement of the table after the lever has come to a stop.

It is necessary that the forward advancement of the table 16 be accurately gaged in order that the store keeper may accurately deliver to the customer a desired amount of cheese (either by weight or value) and for that purpose I provide the base 10 with a projection 31 adjacent the point where lever 18 emerges through the wall of the base. This projection is then bored with a straight bore 32 (dotted lines Fig. 2) through which a threaded gage 33 may pass. Projected transversely into the bore 32 is a guide and clamping pin 34 which is threaded in the wall of the bore so that its inner end may not only serve as a guide, to prevent longitudinal movement of the gage pin 33iexcept by rotation, but also serves as a clamping screw to hold the screw at any desired position of'adjustment. Screw 33-is preferably provided with avsquare thread, as shown, in order that the threads may present a, sufli cient surface upon which to receive legible gage markings 35; to cooperate with thegage mark 35" arranged on the face of a notch 36 cut in the upper surface of. projection. 3:1. Threaded into the inner end of the gage screw 33 is atemper-screw 37 which serves then dispense the same in five-cent pieces, or

7 pieces havingavalue in multiples of five value markings as indicatedein Fig 6- theggage. markingswill be totial one theeother hand, the operator -des-1'res to dispense the cheese by weight 'llIlltS, the markings 85 will. be: indicated: by the total cents,

weight:indications and be\ correspondingly arranged with. relation to each other-along thelength oi the screw thread. 7

By thev above construction, itwill be. noticedcthatthe apparatus maybe assembled after, a verylsmall". amount; of simple machine work, which can be readily done-by comparatively unskilled labor, thus making-1t possible to produce; an. accurate cheesecutter at small expense,

7 .I'cl'aimas my invention:

- 1; a cheese-cutter, the combination-0f 'a base, a. cheese-carrying tablev rotatably mounted: thereon, operating lever, a clutch between said lever and table, means for: limiting the movement; ofsaid lever in one direction, and a means for limiting the movement of sai'dlever inthe .oppositedirection comprising a. threaded gage member. carrying gage. markings. arranged longitudinallyv oi? the threadthereoh: and means for preventing; axial movement of: said gage member, except, upon rotation.

2.= Ina cheese'cutter, the combination of a cheese-carrying table: a supporting base I member having a lateral: extension" bored transversely, of; the: axis of' the table, a threaded gage member journaled, in said bore andprovided at; its inner-endwith an axialt'emper screw, a clamping-andiretaim ing-screw projected into said bore int-position to, lie between the threads ofthe gage screw, an;operating,1ever arranged to, engage saidtemper screw, at one end of its movement,

clutching means arranged between the operating lever and table, and means for limiting the throw of said lever in theopposite direction. I

3; In a cheese cutter, the combination of a cheese-carrying table, a supporting base member having a lateral extension bored transversely of the axis of the table, a

threaded gage member journaled in said bore, a clamping and retaining screwrprojected into said bore in position to lie between the threads of the gage screw, an operating leven-arrangedto engage said gage screwtat: one end of its movement, clutching means arranged between the operating lever and table, and means fori-limitingthe throw of -saidlever in-the opposite-direction.

4. In a cheese cutter, the-combinationof a cheese carryl'ng table, a supporting base member having a later-al= extension bored transverselyv of theiaxis; ofthe table, a threaded; gage: member j-ournaled in said 1 bore,- a clamping and: retaining screw projected into-said. bore in positiontohe between; the. threads. of; the gage screw,- an operating lever arranged toengagesaid gage screw at one endof its movement, clutching means.arranged between the operating lever andutable, andimeans engaging-the clutching means to limit the throwvof the leverin the ftmward direction and to simultaneously tighten the; clutching; means.

5'. In acheese-cuttemthecombination of a rotary table, having an, annular flange, an operating lever swingingin-a plane substantially: parallel with" the; table, a clutch plate mouted on said levferandi freely movable angularly and. radially thereon, clutch pins carried. by; said; clutch plate and engaging the: annular flange upon its opposite sides, and; a. stop arrangedin the path of movementmfs'said leverin one direction toengage said clutch plateso \as-to-limit: the movement of; thelever. and simultaneously tighten the clutchpinseupon;thelflange.

6,.v In acheeseicutter, the combination of a rotary table, having an. annular'flange, an

operating lever swinging'ina plane substantially parallel. with the table, a clutchplate:

mouted on: saidnleveri and 'freely movable angularly thereon, clutch-pins carried by said clutch'zplate and engaging: the annular flange uponitszopposite sides, and a stop arranged urthe path of movement ofsaid lever-in one direet onto engage sa'idclutch plate so as to;

limit the movement otthe lever. and simul-" taneously tightenvthe clutch pins upon the flange; v '71. Ina cheese cutter, the combination of a rotary table,- an operating lever swinging in aiplane substantially parallel with the table, clutchingE meansxcarriedrby: said lever and engaging thetable, andta stop arranged in the path; of: movement of: said" clutching meanszto engage said=clutching means so asto limit the swinging of the operating lever in one direction and simultaneously tighten the clutching means upon the table.

8. In a cheese cutter, the combination of a rotary table, a reciprocating operating member, a clutch connection between said operating member and table to drive the table in one direction, and means causing said clutch connection to automatically firmly grip the table and hold the same against further forward advancement when the operating member reaches its normal limit of forward movement.

9. In a cheese cutter, the combination of a rotary table, an operating member, a clutch connection between said operating member and table, and means for engaging said clutch connection and tightening the same upon the table to prevent further forward advancement of the table when the operating member reaches its normal limit of for ward movement.

10. In a cheese cutter, the combination of a cheese carrying member and a knife one movable relatively to the other transversely to the knife, an operating member for advancing the movable member, a clutch connection between the operating member and movable member, and means causing said clutch connection to automatically firmly grip the movable member and hold the same against further advancement when the operating member reaches its normal limit of forward movement.

11. In a cheese cutter, the combination of a cheese carrying member and a knife one movable relatively to the other transversely to the knife, an operating member for advancing the movable member, a clutch connection between the operating member and movable member, and means for engaging said clutch connection and tightening the same upon the movable member to prevent further forward advancement of said movable member when the operating member reaches its normal limit of forward movement.

12. In a cheese cutter, the combination of a main frame, a cheese carrying table rotatably mounted on the main frame, a driving member movable in a single plane, means carried by said driving member and engaging the table to advance the same step by step, and a limiting stop rotatably mounted upon the main frame in the plane of movement of the driving member and rotatable to different positions to variably limit the movement of the driving member in one direction.

13. In a cheese cutter, the combination of a main frame, a cheese carrying table rotatably mounted on the main frame, a driving member movable in a single plane, means carried by said driving member and engaging the table to advance the same step by step, and a limiting stop rotatably mounted upon the main frame in the plane of movement of the driving member and rotatable to different positions to variably limit the movement of the driving member in one direction, and a graduated scale and cooperating indicator, one carried by the frame and the other by the rotatable stop to indicate the limiting position of the rotatable stop relative to the actuated member.

14. In a cheese cutter, the combination of a main frame, a cheese carrying table rotatably mounted on said main frame, a driving member movable in a single plane, means carried by said driving member and engaging the table to advance said table step by step, a fixed stop carried by the main frame to limit the movement of the driving member in one direction, and an adjustable stop rotatably mounted upon the main frame in opposition to the fixed stop and rotatable to vary the space between itself and the fixed stop to vary and limit the movement of the driving member in the opposite direction.

15. In a cheese cutter, the combination with the main frame, of a cheese carrying table movably mounted on the main frame, a driving member, a clutch carried by the driving member and engaging the cheese table to advance the same in one direction step by step, a fixed stop carried by the main frame and arranged in the path of table-advancing movement of the clutch to tighten the clutch against the table and thereby limit the advancing movement of the table, and an adjustable stop rotatably mounted upon the main frame in opposition to the fixed stop and in position to limit the return movement of the driving member, whereby the adjustable stop may be shifted to Vary the distance between itself and the fixed stop.

16. In a cheese cutter, the combination with the main frame, of a cheese carrying table movably mounted on the main frame, a driving member, a clutch carried by the driving member and engaging the cheese table to advance the same in one direction step by step, a fixed stop carried by the main frame and arranged in the path of tableadvancing movement of the clutch to tighten the clutch against the table and thereby limit the advancing movement of the table, and an adjustable stop mounted upon the main frame in opposition to the fixed stop and in position to limit the return movement of the driving member, whereby the adjustable stop may be shifted to vary the distance between itself and the fixed stop.

17. In a cheese cutter, the combination of a main frame, a cheese carrying table movably mounted on the main frame, a driving member movable in a single plane, means carried by said driving member and engaging the table to advance the same step by 

